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Student Services

In document ACADEMIC CATALOG (Page 87-93)

Student Satisfaction

In addition to offering high-quality educational programs, the University is committed to providing the finest administrative service to working adult students. This commitment extends to all aspects of the educational experience and is based on a philosophy of total student satisfaction.

While each location operates independently, it’s part of a nationwide system supported by a core of academic and operations specialists. Together these professionals provide curricula relevant to today’s business world and student services that make the educational process flow smoothly.

Although onsite students generally complete courses at one or two locations, they can benefit from the University’s multiple sites across the United States – should relocating be necessary – as well as take advantage of online course offerings. And as the business world becomes more complex, students have the unique opportunity to continue their education without interruption and be assured of receiving consistent, high-quality education from an academic system recognized nationwide.

In addition to offering these more general services, we work diligently to:

• Enable onsite students to register in the few minutes before the first class meeting or in advance, either in person, by mail or online.

• Enable online students to register beginning week three of the prior session.

• Staff each location well into the evening so all administrative procedures can be accomplished on the night of class or by telephone.

• Include supplementary readings with text materials so students can select the most convenient time and place for study.

Supporting students throughout their academic journey is a team of colleagues, including Student Central leaders, student support advisors (SSAs) and faculty, who can direct students to online and onsite resources.

SSAs offer academic and financial advising, and are also available to discuss career plans, professional services and extra-curricular activities. Students can find their assigned SSAs within the Student Finance tab on their Student Portal at https://learn.keller.edu/home. Contact

information, including the phone number, for a student’s assigned SSA is listed. While each student has an assigned advisor, any SSA within Student Central may assist the student.

Course Schedules

Balancing family, career and education commitments can be challenging. At Keller, we help ease the process with course schedules offered year-round onsite and online.

We offer six eight-week sessions annually. This enables new students to start their programs any time of year and allows continuing students to take a session off, if needed, to accommodate their schedules (see Student-Centric Period). All Keller courses – whether delivered onsite or online – are taught within the eight-week-session model. Online courses have the added benefit of allowing students to complete required coursework at the most convenient time, and place, for them.

87 Student-Centric Period

The student-centric period (SCP) is defined as an academic semester consisting of any two consecutive sessions that begins when a student matriculates and that ends when time requirements for a semester have been fulfilled.

Two overlapping calendar cycles designate sessions corresponding to the University’s summer, fall and spring semesters. At the time students matriculate, they are assigned an SCP designator code of Cycle 1 or Cycle 2. The chart below outlines how sessions correspond to a student’s spring, summer and fall semesters, based on assigned SCP cycle.

Student-Centric-Period Cycles

Semester Cycle 1 Sessions Cycle 2 Sessions

Spring January, March March, May

Summer May, July July, September

Fall September, November November, January

Certain processes are conducted on a session basis; others are conducted on a semester basis.

Course Delivery Formats

Courses are delivered in two formats, “blended” and “all-online.” Both formats are designed to achieve the same student outcomes and are academic equivalents. Course availability may be subject to enrollment minimums. Course and program outcomes are provided in course syllabi, and program outcomes are included in Keller’s Degree Programs.

Blended Onsite Learning

The blended format enhances education and corresponds to the dominant reality of the workplace, where onsite and online interaction are combined to accomplish organizational objectives.

Students meet with faculty face-to-face onsite for three-and-one-half hours per week and participate in professor-guided online activities. Onsite activities include interactive lectures and discussions, plus demonstrations of problems and concepts.

Course outcomes are supported by combining weekly onsite activities with relevant online

guidance and feedback from faculty and fellow students throughout the week. Course syllabi note both onsite and online time commitments.

All students enrolled in site-based programs will be required to take some coursework online.

Students in certain programs and at certain locations will be required to complete a substantial portion of the program online.

Dynamic Online Learning

Students in courses delivered entirely online must have the same dedicated effort as those in classroom-based courses. However, they are expected to assume a greater level of personal responsibility for their learning. Online activities may include direct interaction with faculty and other students (e.g., online discussion, group projects and case studies) as well as activities students complete independently, with subsequent interaction with faculty (e.g., quizzes and research assignments).

The all-online format integrates today’s high-tech capabilities with the University’s proven methodology. Typical online learning technologies include:

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• The online site, https://learn.keller.edu/, accessible 24 hours a day and offering course syllabi and assignments, the virtual library and other web-based resources

• Electronic textbooks and interactive course materials

• Study notes or “professor lectures” on the website for student review

Student academic performance for online courses is assessed via thorough evaluation of

contributions to team/group activities; participation in threaded discussions; and performance on individual exercises, projects, papers and case studies. Professors build complete portfolios reflecting student mastery of course outcomes by assessing performance on individual assignments, quizzes and exams.

Specific Provisions for Online Students

Many Keller courses are offered in a purely online format. For all programs, regardless of modality, the University observes student success measures that are holistic and support overall student completion. After registering for a course, students are granted access to preview the course shell for up to two weeks prior to the scheduled course start date. Prior to beginning courses, students are required to attend a virtual New Student Orientation session (live or recorded) for a thorough introduction to their course shell, the online functionality and to the general requirements of online courses at Keller.

Commuter-Friendly Locations

For students choosing to attend classes onsite, the University offers the convenience of locations in major metropolitan areas nationwide. Students can attend classes at the site that’s most

convenient or that best meets their course needs. Additionally, coursework transfers easily among all Keller locations. Students can also complete courses online should relocation be necessary.

Note: Students who relocate while enrolled at DeVry University may be unable to complete their program if relocating to a state where DeVry is not authorized to offer a particular program.

Prospective students should contact their admissions advisor/representative to discuss how relocation could affect their ability to complete their program; current students should contact Student Central if they are considering relocating during their course of study.

There may be consequences, such as ineligibility for financial aid, for applicants and students who relocate to a state where DeVry is not authorized. There may also be program limitations, even in states where DeVry is authorized; applicants/students may not be able to apply, continue, or transfer to a particular program, as not all programs may be approved by a state authorization agency. See State and Distance Education Authorizations for additional information.

Supportive Learning Environment

Through our computer-based instructional provider, students and faculty have unlimited access to web-based short courses of professional or personal interest. Courses are self-paced, tutorial in nature and range from two to 10 hours in length.

In addition, THE HUB 2.0 is designed to enhance students’ online learning experience. Containing a wealth of student resources, THE HUB helps students easily:

• Access the online library

• Connect with faculty and classmates using blogs and forums

• Find all University-related contact information

• Enhance written communication skills via the Writing Source

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• View more than 1,500 educational videos

• Add program resources, a personal biography, avatars and more Academic Advising

Keller is committed to helping students achieve their education goals. Supporting students throughout their academic journey is a team of colleagues, including Student Central leaders, student support advisors (SSAs) and faculty, that can direct students to online and onsite resources. SSAs offer academic and financial advising, and are also available to discuss career plans, professional services and extracurricular activities. Students can find their assigned SSAs within the Student Finance tab on their Student Portal at https://learn.keller.edu/home. Contact information, including phone number, for a student’s assigned SSA is listed. While each student has an assigned advisor, any SSA within Student Central may assist the student.

Students may be required to participate in formal academic advising if:

• They must repeat a course to achieve an adequate grade.

• The academic administrator determines a formal intervention might be beneficial to the student.

Advising may result in a written plan for improvement and follow-up that is agreed upon by the student and the advisor. Students are encouraged to reach out to faculty for support and guidance.

Library

The library of DeVry University and its Keller Graduate School of Management supports the educational goals and instructional needs of our students. Students can access library materials digitally via their personal devices 24/7 from the library website at http://library.devry.edu/.

Resources include periodical and research databases, e-books, full-text journal articles and information from academic and trade publications. Students may access this information through our Learning Commons, located across the country. The Learning Commons is an open space where students can collaborate, study or conduct their online research.

The University’s professional librarians are available to help students access library resources, search for information and provide direction for their research questions. Students can contact librarians by live chat, email or by calling a dedicated toll-free number. To learn more, visit http://library.devry.edu/ask-a-librarian.html.

Career Services

Students and alumni are entitled to career services to help them enter business or industry. The Career Services department, through self-directed career-planning appointments, helps students and graduates acquire professional development skills that will serve them throughout their careers. Areas addressed include assessing career goals; developing résumés; increasing marketability; building networking and interviewing techniques; and improving salary negotiation skills. Additional assistance is provided through local and national job postings, which identify currently available career opportunities. While employment cannot be guaranteed, Career Services will continue to work with students after graduation.

Note: No programs offered by DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management include an internship, externship, or production work as a part of their requirements.

90 Student Records

All materials submitted in support of students’ applications, including transcripts from other institutions, letters of reference and related documents, become the property of DeVry University.

During a student’s enrollment, DeVry maintains records that include admission and attendance information, academic transcripts and other relevant data. Student academic records are

maintained in accordance with DeVry’s academic document retention schedule after the student is no longer enrolled. Students may review the content of their files by notifying the registrar in writing.

Except as required by law, no information regarding attendance, grades or any other aspect of students’ academic standing will be released to any third party without written student consent.

Official Transcripts: Students are provided an electronic, final transcript at no charge upon graduation. Students and alumni must submit requests for official transcripts via the student portal. See Official Transcript Request.

Document Requests: To obtain student records such as billing statements, diplomas, enrollment agreements, registration documents and transcripts, students should contact their student support advisor at 877.496.9050. Requests may also be submitted by one of the following methods:

• Email: [email protected]

• Fax: 630.689.4003 (Attn: Document Request)

• Mail: DeVry University

Attn: Document Request 1200 E. Diehl Rd.

Naperville, IL 60563 Hours of Operation

In general, administrative office hours at Keller locations are Monday through Thursday 8 am to 8 pm, Friday 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday 9 am to 1 pm, or Monday through Thursday 9 am to 8 pm, Friday 9 am to 4:30 pm and Saturday 9 am to 1 pm. Hours vary by location. More specific

information on administrative hours is available from each location.

Academic Instruction and Faculty Office Hours

Each session, instruction ends at 11:59 pm MT on Saturday of week eight. No instruction occurs on holidays or during breaks. Online instruction, professor feedback and student-student

interaction in the virtual classroom are continuous processes during each session. Faculty office hours are scheduled at the discretion of each faculty member. Faculty telephone numbers and email addresses are included on course syllabi, which indicate when and how students can contact professors. More specific information is available from each location.

ASPIRE Student Assistance Program

ASPIRE is a student assistance program designed to help students overcome obstacles and achieve success both in and outside of the classroom. Provided at no additional charge, ASPIRE includes a wide range of support services, such as legal and financial counseling, housing

referrals, and resources related to living arrangements, childcare and more, to help manage daily life needs. ASPIRE professionals can be reached at 888.470.1531 or via

[email protected]. More information is available at www.myaspireonline.com.

91 Student Housing

The ASPIRE student assistance program can help students with their housing needs. Students who need assistance locating housing or who have problems related to living arrangements should contact an ASPIRE specialist by calling 888.470.1531, texting 858.224.2094,

emailing [email protected] or visiting www.myaspireonline.com.

Disability Accommodations

Reasonable accommodations are provided to students with disabilities in accordance with

applicable laws. The Office of Student Disability Services can provide additional information about the University’s Nondiscrimination policy and assistance with accommodation requests during the admission process or after enrollment. To learn more, email [email protected].

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In document ACADEMIC CATALOG (Page 87-93)